As much as I love being a gamer, sometimes you need to do something else for a little while, especially when your normal games are being frustrating or are in a bit of a lull content-wise. And when that happens, one of my favourite things to do is find other ways to still be a geek.
So today, I thought I’d learn about (and share!) some fun ways to expend geek energy when the gaming vibe just isn’t there.
Tabletop gaming
Whether you go for traditional board games or something more along the lines of D&D, I like tabletop gaming as a way to break out of a gaming funk because it challenges your mind in a different way. Suddenly, you’ve got to think about your strategy, your placement, and whether being a smartass at that no-nonsense guard is really a good idea.
Because if there’s something we’ve learned from Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s that everything out there has the potential to be a party wipe.
This is also nice because it tends to be a social event, at least the way it happens in our house, and it gives me an excuse to make all the things from the D&D cookbook, including the tasty mulled wine!
Cosplay
I’ll admit, this isn’t one I do a ton of myself! I tend to channel Jim from The Office when it comes to costumes of any kind.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the artistry and dedication that people put into their cosplays. It’s a lovely way to connect yourself in a way with characters you love from all kinds of geeky media, because you aren’t just recreating their look—the whole idea is to act like them in character, too.
Creative writing
This might sound a little biased, but well, I do love creative writing as a way to use up my geek energy. It can take a few forms: fan fictions, unique stories and characters, even backstories and dossiers for your back-burner D&D characters.
It also has the hidden benefit of encouraging skills like character development and world-building, which can both come in handy if you think you might try your hand at running your own tabletop RPG games.
Crafting
Crocheting and knitting might once have been a somewhat old-fashioned hobby, but hear me out. There’s a huge movement right now toward geeky crafting—perhaps inspired by games like Yoshi’s Crafted World—and that means there’s no shortage of geeky patterns and things you can make yourself.
I’ve yet to get brave enough to try making my own Dobby or Hedwig stuffie, but Mrs. Weasley’s monogrammed sweaters are very much in the realm of possibility (and in progress)!
YOUR TURN
